Tags
Alberta, Alternative Energy Sources, Calgary, Canada, Diana Schwenk, environment, First Nations People, Freedom of Speech, health, Honour the Treaties Concert Tour, Hump Day Chronicles, Neil Young, oil sands, rant, world issues
Photo credit: huffingtonpost.ca
RECENTLY MUSICIAN, NEIL YOUNG finished off his Honour the Treaties Concert Tour in Calgary to support First Nations people in their legal fight with the Government.
Reactions in Alberta have ranged from how Young didn’t have the correct information to “he’s a musician and should just stick with what he knows.”
And don’t get me started on the comments about Young riding around on his tour bus. I’m sick of that being the go-to response anytime somebody questions the affects of the oil and gas industry on our environment! What other alternative is there?
Various news media assure the world that most Canadians are in favour of the oil sands. What? Just because you report this, doesn’t make it true! Say it is so and it will be so?
Other messages inform us that the oil sands are only responsible for 1 part in (insert rather large number) of toxic emissions in the world. It kinda sounds like an addict when he defends his addiction by saying, “I’m not as bad as that guy,” doesn’t it?
The point is, critics insinuated that Young should leave this subject to those who have been educated in this area and know what they’re doing.
Wait one fracking minute…
Does that mean Young’s opinion is null and void? So what if he got a few of the details wrong, anybody with eyes in their head can see that the oil sands are not good for the environment. Last time I looked, I was in Canada and I’m pretty sure that in Canada we are entitled to our opinions and have the right to express them.
If I’m to be honest, I’m nervous about the oil sands too. I’m scared about a pipeline in BC. I don’t know what that will mean to the environment, for migrating herds, for the food we eat. I can’t help but wonder if my great-grandchildren will ever see the glorious wonders I see today. And I’ll tell you something else – I bet I’m not the only one who is concerned!
I’m not totally naive though. I know we can’t just shut it all down. Can you imagine how that would affect our economy? The job loss would be horrendous; everyone from gas station employees to factory workers who manufacture gadgets made from oil byproducts would be affected.
But I do have some questions I think we should be asking ourselves. We know that there is a finite supply of oil in the world, right? One day we’ll have to look at alternatives, won’t we? Why aren’t we doing that in a more intentional way now? Why don’t we put at least as much money as we pump into the oil sands into looking at alternative renewable energy sources? From a business perspective doesn’t doing this sooner rather than later make sense?
I say kudos to Neil for acting on his convictions and using his celebrity status to do so!
Let’s not pretend we are not damaging our environment. Let’s also agree it doesn’t make economic sense to shut it all down right now without a plan B. And concurrently, dear provincial and federal governments, put at least the same amount of effort into finding an alternative renewable energy source as you do with the oil and gas industry.
That’s what I think. If that puts me on the same tour bus as Neil, so be it.
~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~
talktodiana 
There were recently spills along a pipeline in southern Arkansas – that o-so-safe pipe from the 70’s and 80s. The area’s a disaster and the oil companies are doing their best not to own up to the damage – We need to be questioning these things because if we don’t someone else is going to pay for our apathy in about 40 years.
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Oh my, sorry to hear that Lorri. Yes we need to find our voice and stand together for what is right!
Diana
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Great post, Diana! And good for Neil for getting an important message out there.
I’m with you 100% – why aren’t we developing plan B now? What are we waiting for? It’s sad to think that money outweighs our environment. If future generations are left with less then we’ve not left our world a better place.
I remember the first time I heard about what fracking is and I was just mind blown. It’s one of those things that in 100 years, classrooms will read about in their history books and say “what were they thinking?” or, “What the frack?” Definitely one of the two 😀
~Andrea<3
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Thanks Andrea. I don’t usually get bent out of shape about stuff, but this thing we’re doing (I don’t understand all the implications of it) reduces me to tears. I saw this utube once, a documentary called something like ‘we are all one, we are family’ it was narrated by a first nations man and it basically suggested that we do not face the end of the world because of our wrecklessness, we are facing the end of the human race and perhaps some other species. But the world will go on, it will heal itself…it will regenerate.
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I’m with you, Diana, it’s incredibly sad.
I think the most difficult part is how powerless we all feel to change it. Talking about it is the start of every great moment of change, so perhaps something will give with all of this some day.
I also believe the world is a powerful healer and I think it would be amazing to see what would happen if we started to replace what we take.
~A<3
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Yes it sure would. Maybe this Millennium generation with its driving force seeming to be to impact the world will save our sorry a$$es by doing just that!
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Love this post, Diana. Yes, we need those in the public eye to bring awareness, help raise funds, and get the attention that individuals can’t attract alone. We SHOULD all be looking into alternatives, funding studies. This black and white way of looking at the big issues doesn’t help anyone. 😦
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and it is selfish with immediate benefits, with no thought given to the future because the future won’t be our issue, our governments won’t be in power then…selfish and irresponsible… I get the economy thing but for Pete’s sake figure out the future too… grumble, grumble, UGH
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They are thinking of the future…of their own bank accounts. Hrrumph.
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good point!
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Did you notice, Diane that in the Calgary Herald newspaper that when Neil came to town for his concert, the newspaper did NOT report anything, anything on that day. they just showed a video clip. I wish the local newspaper had the guts to slam the oil firms for being overly defensive about the tar sands.
After living in Vancouver for 8 yrs., it is freakin’ obvious to me as a Calgarian in past 3 years, that there is no long standing concerned citizens group that speaks out often. The Alberta cultural/political scene is very different from B.C. or even Ontario.
My partner spent his entire career working for a national oil firm and retired early over a decade ago. He has an engineering degree and so he knows some of the technical realities that cause pollution created by oil tar sands…and fracking. Both practices he considers highly intensive and long-term damaging.
What is intriguing to me, is the number of local work commuter cyclists…who work downtown for the big oil firm giants in Calgary. There are lots and the oil firms provide underground bike parking for their employees.
My partner is a highly active cycling advocate in the cities where we have lived for the past 2 decades.
So we do have to make personal choices and live a life that turns away more and more from petroleum fuel based.
WE can’t avoid the use of petroleum to make…bike tires, plastics that we use in our everyday life, etc. However we can SLOW down the fervour of oil extraction and simply not even engage in fracking and oil sands extraction but look to owning 1 car instead of 2, cycling short distances of 3-10 km. (most local trips for shopping, etc. are this anyway), use transit…. lots of options if we make that lst step for lifestyle change.
Sorry I could write my own blog post on this: I wish Albertans just weren’t so dependent economy-wise on oil/gas.
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Yes I did notice. Alberta is pretty set in its ways and I think the opposing voices are pretty much silenced. Ever wonder what happened to Stelmach? One day there’s something about royalties, the next day POOF – he’s done!
You should write a post on it Jean, I’d love to read it! And I agree, I’d like to think our value is based on more than the cost of a barrel!
Diana xo
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Fracking is an emotive issue in the UK right now. Especially when some politician went and said something about the “desolate North East” where he was proposing to install some contentious activity. Needless to say, he offended a whole region of the country.
We really need to do more – “developed” countries are too complacent about the status quo, and too prepared to point fingers at developing countries and criticize the pollution they’re causing. I wouldn’t be too upset if some of those countries overtook us in “green” energy development and forced our governments into taking action rather than simply talking about a few ideas every so often to keep us happy.
And I’d like to do be able to do my bit everyday too. To have access to better options on this kind of issue. I don’t know much about Neil Young’s stance, but judging by the people from here that are getting on the tour bus… I’d not mind hopping on too if I may 🙂
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absolutely, climb aboard!
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This post touches on so many complex issues–and makes me want to learn more about fracking.
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I must admit I don’t know a lot either. Did you read the link? I thought it gave a good overview.
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fracking is not good.
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Probably not…
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I thought that I would let you know that my son (the one who is living in Canada) is doing exactly that – “finding an alternative renewable energy source”. He is a mechanical engineer, with an extra 2 prongs of post-grad studies in renewable energy and electrical engineering. It is his intention to eventually set up a business in renewable energy. It is his life work.
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Oh my gosh – you must be so proud Elizabeth! How does he find funding? Is it struggle? Would their be funding available if he were to go mass market, i.e., build and sell a comparably priced solar powered car as a wild example? On behalf of my great-grandchildren, please thank him for me. ❤
Diana xo
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The future just started looking brighter 🙂
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(smiling)
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Thanks for your praises. Yes I am very proud. The ‘dreams’ are a long way off yet, some further study to get through first. But as the problem (our over-use of energy resources) does not seem to be going away, his time will come in the rescuing of us all.
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I’m of the opinion that the oil company’s have the answers to “What when it runs out”… but they make so much money out of oil that it must firstly be completely depleted… I’m not sure about this fracking thing… they are wanting to do it in an area in SA that is a unique environmental area… this could destroy the area completely…
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I don’t know if they have the answers, but the people who have the money and make money, make the decisions about how money is invested and where…
Regarding that area in SA, you want I send Neil Young over? Ahh hopefully we all just smarten up.
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Me too! Put me on that bus with youl. We can sing out loud, and clear and high and well, off key — but heck, nobody would be listening anyway so why not sing it out loud. It doesn’t make sense what’s happening — we can do better! And maybe, if we listen to someone from ‘outside the box’ we’ll see that the frack we’re doing isn’t creating better! It’s just creating more of what we’ve already got. LOL — now you’ve got me going!
Great blog Diana.
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Haha thanks Louise! I think we can do better too, at the very least be more intentional and proactive about the future.
Diana xo
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Put me on the bus too, Diana. Neil is saying what many of us don’t have a strong enough voice to say, and I’m behind him. Those are excellent questions you pose too. Why in the frack can’t we get some answers to them?
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Thanks Jennifer!
Diana xo
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